Ethan Hawke's new novel

Also this week, more 2021 poetry, critics' picks and public radio romance! by Petra Mayer [Ethan Hawke]( Martin Bureau/AFP via Getty Images In his new novel, actor Ethan Hawke is finally leaning into his own life experiences -- after decades of trying to write about anything but that. A Bright Ray of Darkness follows a young actor who throws himself into a Broadway production of Shakespeare's Henry IV to escape his crumbling marriage to a pop star. "Henry IV probably explores fathers and sons and masculinity and the attempt to arrive at some kind of, quote unquote, manhood or adulthood about as well as literature can do," [Hawke tells Weekend Edition's Lulu Garcia-Navarro](. "And that was what my story was." --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [the 'she said' dialogues: flesh memory, by Akilah Oliver]( Our poetry critic Craig Morgan Teicher is back -- with several of his poet pals -- for the third and last installment of our epic 2021 poetry preview. Teicher says these picks illustrate "the incredible capaciousness of modern poetry," and that he's felt an urgent need for that kind of breadth and diversity over the past four years. "[May these books be sustaining company for you as they have been for us]( he says. [She Persisted: Harriet Tubman, by Andrea Davis Pinkney]( Chelsea Clinton has been doing a series of picture books about notable women, called She Persisted -- and now she's turning them into chapter books, written by some of the biggest names in kid lit. Our [kids' books columnist Juanita Giles]( says "I have really liked the She Persisted series in its original form, but there is just something about a chapter book that takes you inside, that makes the reader want to make that cornstalk trap or learn sign language ... that brings an historical person to life." [The Ex Talk, by Rachel Lynn Solomon]( It's February! So of course we have to get an early start on Valentine's Day with one of my favorite recent reads -- Rachel Lynn Solomon's The Ex Talk. Solomon used to be a producer at Seattle NPR member station KUOW, and she draws on that experience for a sparky enemies-to-lovers romance between a veteran producer and a cocky young J-school grad. (It's absolutely packed with details that'll make any public radio person nod in recognition.) I got to do an email chat with Solomon about the book -- [you can check that out here]( Finally this week, critic Gabino Iglesias says Sarah Langan's [Good Neighbors]( is "one of the creepiest, most unnerving deconstructions of American suburbia I've ever read." Writing about Reuben Jonathan Miller's [Halfway Home]( critic Ericka Taylor says "This indictment of the criminal justice system should trouble the soul of the nation." And Michael Schaub says [Soul City]( author Thomas Healy "is a natural storyteller; the book is difficult to put down, even if you know how it ends." [Good Neighbors, by Sarah Langan]( [Halfway Home, by Reuben Jonathan Miller]( [Soul City, by Thomas Healy]( I hope books bring you everything you need this week! -- Petra --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [books@npr.org](mailto:books@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Pop Culture, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Books emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]